The Blood Ax Raiders

Founded in the chaos and destruction of the US Government, the Raiders is now one of the largest, and most powerful, gangs to come out of the Northern wastelands, terrorizing all who dare stand in its way, the tales of its brutality towards those who defy its will are horrifying.

Capitol: Fort Pierre, popularly known as the "Blood Fort"

Leader: Chief Akando Redcloud

Location: South Dakota

Population: 500-950

The Clan also leads a small Federation of Tribes, the largest of which are the Fire Hawks, who make up most of the Federations military forces, with their Chieftain being a prominant member on the Council

Hiearchy
There is no doubt who rules the group, but there is a very important hiearchy in determining everyones place in the group, in government terms the Raiders is a Despotic Monarchy

Chieftain - The leader of the group, he is typically either the strongest or the most popular leader in the group, he has final say on everything that occurs within the group, such as who and where to raid, how much rations does everyone have, and who is equipped with what.

The Council - a collection of various advisors and agents that assist the Chieftain in the day-to-day affairs of the group

Elders - The eldest members of the group, these old men and women advise the Chief on matters that concern the group, they are equivalent in importance to the other members of the Council.

First Raider - Commander of the Warriors, the First Raider is the General for the Clan, as such he is among the most powerful people in the Clan, oftentimes out in the field attacking various settlements in the region, he is appointed by the Chief himself.

First Scout - Commander of the Scouts, the First Scout is the Chieftains spymaster, locating survivor settlements and also responsible for rooting out spies among the clan itself, like the First Raider he is also appointed by the Chieftain, but First Scouts typically groom their successors to take their place.

First Shaman - The Spiritual head of the Clan, he seeks the will of the Great Spirit to guide the Clan in its endeavors

The rest of the Clan

Warriors - the muscle and backbone of the clan, they number around 100 men strong and make up the military forces of the clan, as such, they are typically in their prime and are heavily equipped and well trained, they are expected to provide and maintain their own equipment and weapons.

Artisans - These men and women make up the industrial heart of the clan, producing the things the warriors will require on their missions, such as food, clothing, and other things, the artisans number around 30-50 people strong, but because of their importance, they receive better quarters and rations for their work.

Breeders - While called a different term by the Clan itself, this is their real function, as the Clan Chieftain and Elders quickly realized that the Clan will need more warriors over time, as such there has been a program introduced that allows women from the ages of 16-30 to receive extra rations and better quarters in exchange for producing children, while otensibly the program is entirely voluntary, de facto it is a forced program, with failure to participate leading to, at best a near-death beating of someone close to the criminal herself, at worst...

Commoners - This is everyone else who isn't part of the other groups, it is everyones duty in the Clan to do something to benefit it, as such the Commoners typically provide security and policing measures, in order to allow the Warriors to focus on their dutys, along with unskilled labour and farming + hunting, all are expected to pitch in if they want to stay inside the clans protective walls, it is from this population that potential warriors are surveyed before being picked.

Foreigners - This is the term used to describe everyone who isn't part of the clan, they are allowed to conduct trade and diplomacy, but nothing else, for in order to join the clan you must either surrender and be assimilated, or offered a place in it.

Note: the Clan keeps no slaves, as the clan feels it would be nothing more than a drain of resources to have a peon to do labour that should be done by a willing person, who would do it better and more efficiently without the possibility of sabotaging the goods produced.

Organization of the Warriors
the Clan Warriors number around 100 men, and the Clan relies largely on speed and maneuverability to destroy their foes, instead of the brute force of numbers or discipline, as such every Warrior is expected to carry equipment that is neccessary for long treks and quick maneuvers.

the Warband - the Warriors as a whole are part of the Blood Ax Warband, this formation will only ever be seen in pitched battles or large conflicts in general

Raiding Party - numbering around 20-40 men each, a raiding party is lead by a Raid Leader, these partys are only organized for Raids, as per its name, in order to find and destroy enemy settlements, but before a settlement is conquered a choice is given to the settlements leader by the raid leader himself, submit and be assimilated, or die.

the 'Lance - formed from 3-5 Talons, this is the equivalent of a squad for the clan, usually formed as part of a Raiding party, Lances can sometimes be formed for individual missions which are deemed to unimportant to justify sending a Raiding Party and too difficult to risk sending just a Talon, these are the formations outsiders can expect to find

the Talon - numbering around 3 warriors each, this is the standard operating unit of the Clan, with every operation from scouting to small scale warfare being conducted by Talons, every Talon is made up of 3 members, if one of the three is killed, he is replaced instead of the Talon being merged, and if the Talen is completely lost in a conflict, the name remains and the Talon is reconstituted with 3 new members, and if a warrior runs and abandons his Talon to die, then the said warrior is given a choice: the rope or a club, to either commit suicide, or use the club and walk into either Sioux Falls or Rapid City, both of which are heavily infested, and keep fighting until they die or turn